Work support for stitching machines



y 14, 1940- J. G. TERZIAN 2,201,060

WORK SUPPORT FOR STITCHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1939 Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED STATES WORK SUPPORT FOR S'IITCHING MACHINES John G. Terzian, West ford, Mass.

Medford, Mass, assignor of one-half to Nishan G. Terzian, West Med- Application February 15,- 1939, Serial No. 256,402

2 Claims.

My invention relates to curved needle sole sewing machines for use in making and repairing boots and shoes and in particular to an improved needle plate or work-supporting guides for supporting the work against the thrust of the needle of a machine of the class indicated.

In shoe sewing machines of the class to which my invention relates a work-supporting guide arm is provided which is made with a narrow slot through which the needle and awl move up and down during the operation of the machine, the work being held down upon said guide arm by the usual presser-foot and intermittently fed laterally step-by-step by sidewise movement of the awl. During the operation of the machine, particularly when doing repair work, the needle frequently is deflected forwardly during its down stroke and strikes against the outer side wall of the slot which not only results in breakage of the needle but also mutilates said outer side wall. The frequent breakage of needles characterizing the use of these machines is not only a substantial item of expense but it also results in substantial loss of time required in substituting a new needle and starting the stitching operation again. Moreover, when a new needle is substituted for a broken one and the stitching operation is resumed it is necessary to start a new line of stitches which is objectionable, particularly when sewing a sole around the forepart of a shoe.

The deflection and breakage of the needle referred to results from various causes among which may be mentioned. unusually thick or hard leather and while crossing a joint betweentwo pieces of leather.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of sewing machines of the class described so as. to obviate the objectionable breakage of needles referred to. To this end I have provided an improved needle plate or work-supporting guide for sewing machines as set forth in the following description, the invention being particularly pointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a shoe stitching machine.

Figure 2 shows in perspective, and enlarged, some of the parts included in Fig. 1 as viewed from the front of the machine.

Figure 3' is a sectional view through the worksupporting guide arm taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawing, ID is a portion of the frame of a shoe sewing machine or stitcher,

l i is the needle and i2 the awl. The needle and awl are vibrated as usual on an axis l3 so as to swing up and down relatively to the work W and a work-supporting guide arm I4.

.While the awl is at the limit of its upward 5 movement it is moved sidewise in one direction into alinement with the needle to feed the work and it is then lowered in unison with downward movement of the needle so that the latter passes into. and through the awl hole in the work as 10 the awl is withdrawn therefrom. While the hook of the needle is below the work it receives a loop of thread from the looper, not shown, and as the needle next moves upwardly it pulls this loop into position above the work to receive the thread from the shuttle, not shown. While the awl I2 is below the arm l4 it is moved sidewise in the opposite direction and then upwardly through the work while the latter is held against upward displacement by the usual presser-foot, not shown. This completes the cycle of the machine which, except for the work-supporting guide arm I4 is constructed and operated as usual.

My improved work-supporting guide arm l4 comprises a base portion I 5 formed with a hole l6 and a slot II. The hole [6 accommodates a screw l8 by which said base portion is secured in position upon the part ill of the frame of the machine while the slot I! receives a dowel pin l9 projecting from frame II]. In this way the arm is rigidly fixed to the frame of the machine.

At its forward free end the arm M is made with an approximately horizontal shelf 20 with a smooth top that is formed with a slot 2| through which the needle and awl move up and down as the machine is operated. The supporting arm I 4 is thus laterally off-set from the needle plate proper 20 in the direction of work feed, and this expression as used in claim 1 is to be so understood. At the rear of the slot 2i the shelf 20 is made with the usual upstanding boss 22 to serve as an edge guide against which the edge of the sole of the work is held by the operator during the sewing operation while the usual presser-foot yieldingly holds the work down against the top of the shelf.

In accordance with my invention the outermost, or front, side of the slot 2| is defined in part by a relatively short prong 23 and in part by a relatively long prong 24, the free proximate ends of said prongs being spaced apart to provide a passageway or branch slot 25 which is preferably not less in width than the width of the needle II but which is essentially disposed directly in front of, and parallel with, the curved path of the point of the needle. That is to say, the passageway or branch slot 25 is in the same vertical plane with the curved path of the needle point and directly in front of said path.

It follows, therefore, that if for any reason the needle is deflected forwardly while passing through the work it cannot strike against the work-supporting guide arm and its point will traverse the passageway or branch slot 25. In this way breakage of the needle is avoided.

It is advantageous to round or bevel the prongs 23 and 24 adjacent to the upper end of the passageway or branch slot as shown at 26 so that if the needle is deflected laterally during its down stroke said beveled or rounded portions will direct its point into the passageway 25.

The relatively large prong 24 is made of considerable width vertically to provide a depending skirt 24a to bear at times more or less fiatwise against the upper of a shoe while the sole of the latter is being sewed in place.

The shelf 20 is connected with the base l5 by a laterally extending arm portion 26.

What I claim is:

1. A needle plate for use in curved-needle sewing machines, presenting a smooth work supporting top surface over which the work is adapted to be fed, said plate having a supporting arm laterally off-set so as to be out of the path of the work, said plate formed with a slot substantially elongated in the direction of work feed, and through which the curved-needle and awl of the machine respectively move down and up in their work piercing strokes, the wall of the plate outward from said slot being made with a lateral clearance passageway for the needle that is directly in front of the normal path of the needle, but through which the needle is free to pass when It is descending in a forwardly deflected condition, said passageway extending from the top to the bottom of said outer wall.

2. In a curved needle sewing machine, a worksupporting guide arm for supporting the work against the thrust of the needle, said guide arm being made with a shelf on top of which the work rests and said shelf being formed with a slot through which the needleand awl of the machine move up and down, the outer wall defining said slot being made with a lateral branch slot that is directly in front of the normal path of the needle so as to serve as a clearance passageway for the latter through which said needle is free to pass without engaging said outer wall when it descends in a forwardly deflected condition, said branch slot extending from the top to the bottom of said outer wall, and an upstanding edge-guide on the top of said shelf and disposed rearwardly of said slot,

JOHN G. TERZIAN. 

